At Thursday night’s Leitchfield Utilities Commission meeting, a raise was approved, and a pre-construction conference related to the new Leitchfield Water Treatment Plant was announced.
At the request of Mayor Rick Embry, the commission approved giving a shared utilities/city of Leitchfield employee a $1 per hour raise.
Leitchfield Water Treatment Plant project moves forward
Leitchfield Utilities Chairman Robert Crawford announced that the utility, Smith Contractors, Inc. and U.S. Rural Development, the government agency providing financing and loans for the project, will meet on April 1 to discuss the future of the project.
On Monday night, the Leitchfield City Council voted to adopt several documents related to the financing of the new water treatment plant.
Leitchfield Utilities Attorney David Vickery presented the council with an additional grant and loan from United States Rural Development to cover the cost of the project, which was originally estimated to cost around $8 million, but has been projected to cost in the $13 million range.
To offset the increased cost of the project, Vickery said Leitchfield Utilities received approval from U.S. Rural Development last month for a $961,000 grant and 40-year $4,539,000 loan (at 3.375 percent). Originally, the new water treatment plant was to be financed with a $2.4 million grant and $5.6 million loan. The total fund package now sits at $13.5 million.
The current water treatment plant, located at 3245 Lewis School Road, was built in 1968. The new plant will be constructed adjacent to the current plant.
The decision to construct a new water treatment plant came after the federal government raised water quality standards – which would mean the purchase of millions of dollars of new equipment for the current, antiquated facility — and the growing need for a larger treatment plant more capable of meeting the water demands of its expanding customer base.
The new plant is expected to take two years to construct.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
